


Sweet like honey

by WordThief



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, But in a different way, Multi, bit OoC due to context, courting, destined mates, it'll make sense as we move forwards I promise, kinda Mafia au, no gods/no powers, non-conventional courting, read to find out, the big three are still powerful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:16:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25381465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordThief/pseuds/WordThief
Summary: Some go to extensive lengths in order to get recognized as powerful in the public eye, others rule the world from the shadows.
Relationships: Hazel Levesque & Leo Valdez, Leo Valdez & Original Character(s), Nico di Angelo/Leo Valdez, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 39





	1. Firstly, him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a weird time mix up sort of au, mainly because music, and cellphones, and TV, but also secret bars, and dressing style, and bullshit.

Bunker 9 is a quiet place, in the sense that the usual bustle of everyday life gets drowned in the sound of metal against metal, machines without humans, almost. The people who work there are known to keep to themselves, a reputation for honesty and even voices, good enough at their craft that no one dares raise protest; all but the youngest.

Leo Valdez didn’t stand out from his coworkers due to a lack of skill, in fact the boy was downright prodigious in fixing and even building machinery; but rather, it was his attitude that differentiated him. Leo’s station had a small clearly hand-crafted radio playing jazz at all times, somehow loud enough to overpower his station’s sounds but not enough to be heard anywhere else; and while he was just as honest as the rest, he was a lot more charismatic about it.

There was also the other matter, the one behind his station being in the very back, away from non-seasoned eyes, and why only the most known of patrons would even learn of his presence in the shop. Leo Valdez, youngest, and perhaps most talented, of Bunker 9’s arsenal of mechanics; was an omega.

It wasn’t common to see a male omega, since they tended towards being female more often than not; and it was also not common to see any omega doing a job like this one, where they could get scars and such, as they were expected to be untouched if they wanted to catch the attention of an alpha. Leo, personally, thought that made little sense, because what were you supposed to do, wrap yourself in bubble-wrap and survive on nothing but oxygen until some stranger decided they wanted to court you? Like, one could get a scar from like accidentally touching a hot pot, Leo had one from that one time he hit his chin while playing piggy-back races with the younger kids at one of the orphanages he’d been put in.

He had a lot of scars actually, because life in the system was not easy, especially for omegas, and even more particularly so for _male_ omegas. But he did meet the two most important people in his life through it, so Leo’s relationship with the system was a weird one.

“Hey Leo, your favorite customer is here to see you”

He looks up to find Nyssa in the door that connects his little area with the rest of the shop, it’s actually a garage door that has a smaller door built in, so they can move big things in and out as needed while still giving him the safety of being hidden.

“Let them through, I’m almost done”

Nyssa smiles at him, it’d been weird at first, when Leo’s self-proclaimed sister enters the room. Leo’s gotten in the habit of being a little more observant when it comes to her, because he does think of her as a sibling; today she has her light brown hair into a half-ponytail made out of braids, wearing a simple green dress that’s been artistically un-dyed in spots.

“What can I help you with señorita?”

Selah breaks into a smile unbidden, which is a clear sign that this isn’t a professional visit, as she always seems to feel some level of shame when asking Leo to repair something for her; which is ridiculous when it’s his job, and she does pay him for it.

“I come bearing news!”

Leo grabs the next piece of machinery and proceeds to work on it, it’s nothing particularly strenuous, just making sure everything is clean and shiny before he rebuilds the thing; a dish-washer, which had been interesting if nothing else.

“What rating?”

He hears her walking further inside, she knows firsthand how good Leo’s at multitasking, so she makes no comment on him being ‘distracted’.

“Bit confusing to follow, but worth it to try”

Leo finishes and moves onto the next piece; he’s almost done with this, and then comes the fun part.

“Shoot”

A metallic sound to his right tells him Selah’s taken over the empty chair, the one Leo leaves in case one of his customers comes back before the agreed time.

“You know how Haze has spent the last few adapting to blood family and such?”

Leo nods, knowing the feeling of her dried-earth brown eyes (her words); she pushes on as expected.

“Well, her brother has a quote-on-quote sister, and she thinks we’d get on”

Leo lets out a huff.

“She wants to set you up, and you're telling me?”

Selah hisses at him, she’s far more connected to her omega side than Leo will ever be; though luckily they’re incompatible or heats would be impossible to work through, seeing how those tend to synch otherwise.

“She wants both of us to meet them, since they’re her family”

Leo sighs, he can’t lie and say he hasn’t missed Hazel all this time she’s been off in California meeting the people she should’ve had in her life if not for her deceased mother. He puts down the last piece for a moment, making a quick protective motion with his hand, and then picks it back up; one can never be too careful.

“Fine, but keep in mind that I have a working schedule, and I do not want to lose this job”

He doesn’t need to look up to know she’s grinning, but he does so anyway because it’s important he asses her level of excitement; when he does, he decides he’s absolutely going to regret this.


	2. Of danger and magnetism {1/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recommend some good jazz to me, please, I have a craving.  
> Pick a city in USA that this can all happen in for me, please, I know nothing of the country.

The Laughing Chimera isn’t a place for common folk, Leo knows the moment Selah is pushing him to get every last inch of him clean, and then pushing him into dress clothes; luckily she knows him well enough to not even try squishing him into a tie of any sort, instead letting him show off his mock-collar, which is a true piece of work if he says so himself. Selah, on her end, slips into a black and white cocktail dress, leaving her hair alone, but donning on a darker shade of lipstick; though Leo’s a lost case when it comes to make up, so she could really have more done to her face he’s not aware of, like, maybe her eyelashes aren’t normally that dark.

Leo gives her another mock collar, though not as perfect as the finished product, he trusts it’ll keep her safe from any indecent alphas, as any good collar should. And if they both make it through the night unscathed, then Leo’s going to make a side business of making more; he was sure it would help plenty of people, but wouldn’t risk selling unless he was sure it actually worked as intended.

He offers his arm to Selah because he knows it makes her laugh, and lets her guide him out of the apartment and into the street. Hazel’s blood family had a business of some sort, buying and selling stuff if she was to be believed, and it was good enough to open a new branch closer to the small city where Leo and Selah lived; and with Hazel’s brother taking over that branch, their old friend had no reason to move back home.

Leo has never had any reason to question any of this, until Selah’s taking him through a narrow alleyway that tips down into a fenced area with a peephole; and he might have kept his nose clean since leaving Arizona, but he still recognizes a speakeasy when he sees one. It’s bad news, like actually bad news, like Bad news with a capital ‘B’ bad; because it means Hazel’s blood family has reasons to hide their personal connections, or worse-

Worse, Hazel is now involved by blood, to the world of shadows, and secrecy, and gunfire, and fortune, and vices, and death. Which would mean, that not only are Leo and Selah expected to get tangled with that mess; but also, that they wouldn’t be able to pull Hazel out.

Leo wishes he could say he hates the place, if only for his pride’s sake, but the moment they cross the wall and make it all the way to the second door and inside the actual club, they’re drowned in an entirely different world. The first thing Leo notes, to his charging, is the starting notes of a song he knows, and then there’s someone actually singing it live, from a stage further back; the jazz music seems to vibrate across a room tinted orange with soft lights overhead, tables scooted to make room for anyone wanting to dance, a bar at the other end of the room, and some sort of energy that was trying to seep into Leo’s bones.

For her part, Selah looked absolutely star struck, hand wrapped tightly on his arm as she looked around in awe; so it was Leo’s job to stay alert and focused, though that much wasn’t unusual, at the very least. Everything about the place sent a sort of tingle through Leo’s whole being, not excitement, or awe, like it did his pseudo-sister, but something different; more like grinds slotting perfectly together and moving in synch, like a motor purring at the first turn of the key, like a special order piece fitting just right inside something larger than it.

A siren song, to be sure, but one that surprised Leo, as he’d never considered himself the type to be swept by the thrill of getting away, the tension of hiding in plain sight, the adrenaline of power through deceit and… and he was letting himself go too easily; no, he was built tougher than that, he could survive one hit of the underworld without getting addicted, he would, he had to.

“Hazel!”

Leo´s attention snaps, from looking around the room, to looking at where Selah’s attention is, finding Hazel in seconds, as per usual; she’s bracketed by two imposing people, both in suits, but the taller has their long hair in a French braid. Leo’s eyes stay at the shorter of the two however, as he accompanies Selah in approaching the trio; he goes over sharply contrasting features, dark hair and eyes, pale skin and general structure.

It’s not until they are close enough to talk normally that he notices he resemblance, which isn’t weird considering Hazel and _him_ are like oil and water to the non-trained eye, they probably both take to their respective mothers; but Leo, who’s known Hazel since they were 10, can tell that they are indeed related.

Soon, Leo finds himself with an armful of Hazel, as she excitedly pushes them the last few steps to the table they’ve picked; and Leo is surprised when the taller of the two strangers is a beta and not an alpha as he’d thought when he first saw them. Hazel’s brother, who is actually an alpha so Leo’s guessing ability is at a nice 50%, regards them with an even look as both him and the beta straighten themselves on their seats.

“You must be Hazel’s little found family”

He’s got a nice voice, Leo will give him that, and he’s being polite enough; he still doesn’t trust the alpha one single bit, but Leo can do polite too.

“And you must be the real deal”

The alpha gives him a pleasantly surprised sort of smile; Selah is clutching at Leo’s arm.

“I’m Nico di Angelo, and this is my… what was it you called it Rei?”

It isn’t until the beta is rolling their eyes that Leo notes the slight accent to the alpha’s, Nico’s, words.

“Your pseudo-sister, and I’m Reyna Ramirez-Arellano”

Leo can hear Selah trilling under her breath and mentally commends her on subtlety when no one seems the wiser; he does nudge her forward a little, prompting her to speak.

“Hi, I’m Selah Packard, and this is my pseudo-brother”

Leo allows himself to chuckle at her using the word again, which helps him soothe the tension from having all eyes on him.

“Leo Valdez, pleasure”


	3. Of danger and magnetism {2/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cocktail names are amazing? Who comes up with these things? I kinda want to have all of them make tiny appearances, but that’d be a very different story.  
> I just got on a random name generator and simply took the first name spewed at me, unlike with Selah where I spent an entire week agonizing over surnames before picking Packard; character creation really be like that sometimes.

It’s been ages since Nico last gave any thought to the idea of finding his fated mate, before USA, before the casino, and meeting all the wrong people, and getting deeply tied in the web that had kept his father away, and definitely before loosing Bianca. Though often used as a good night story, fated mates were an actually proven thing, though finding them was rare; and Nico didn’t exactly have the time nor freedom to go looking for his, but he understands not everyone shares this decision.

The only thing that stood out about the two omegas Hazel had grown up with except the fact that they wear collars, but since Nico’s paying careful attention, he notices that they sort of match; it’s a smart play on their part he supposes, keeping their bond sites covered, inaccessible to any alphas who think they can do as they please with omegas. But as he watches Selah and Reyna interacting throughout the night, he can’t help but think about it.

There’s something indescribable about the way they all but zeroed on each other so instantly, clicking together beautifully; and now they’ve become almost completely absorbed with each other. They’ve opted for the dance floor, staying close together, seemingly deep in conversation as they move around the other with surprising fluidity; Nico is now watching from the bar, as he nurses a tuxedo, enjoying a peaceful night, and then Hazel approached him looking agitated.

“He’s here”

Josiah Hendriks had always thought the subject of fated mates to be rather interesting, even if he wasn’t particularly inclined to limiting himself to something he was very unlikely to find; still, the idea of an omega who would take anything he could dish out with pleasure was incredibly tantalizing. He’s a little rough in bed, as he’s been told by the countless pretty strangers he’s spent the night with; so of course, he’d be thrilled with someone who instead of complaining begs him to keep going, or who might even ask for more.

As used as he is on having passing fancies for pretty faces and bodies, it’s no surprise when his eyes fall on a particularly delicious pair of omegas that are clearly new to speakeasies, though one of them seems a lot more informed; it’s this one that Josiah finds himself following with his eyes. It isn’t a surprise either, he likes his partners smart and ready to rumble if needed, brief as his interactions with them are; he likes a challenge, so that when he inevitably has them trembling beneath him it feels just that tad sweeter, he’s an alpha after all.

But then the pair gets closer, and Josiah finds himself under the sharp gaze of that same omega for the briefest of moments, which feels like a jolt of electricity. He was interested before, but now he’s downright obsessed, watching the beautiful omega move through the crowd, hips swaying almost thoughtlessly in time with the beat of background music.

But the decision to actually seduce the pretty thing doesn’t solidify until he sees the omega walking with his companion towards a table hosting one Nico di Angelo and his right hand.

It’s not for nothing, di Angelo has been a thorn in his side since the big guns decided to relent this territory to the Memento Mori gang. Normally Josiah would’ve simply bowed his head and squirreled himself into the good graces of the new higher power, but when Hade’s son was the one to take over as opposed to the king ping himself, a different plan had to be made.

Josiah was sure Hades planned to test his son by giving him the task of wrangling a new territory into submission; as was anyone with more than brain cell, really. So, like any good sewer rat with dreams of glory, he saw his chance to prove he was the better option; it’d piss Hades right off, but he was sure the other two would be tickled by it, considering what the relationship between the three big heads was like.

Stealing an omega right from under di Angelo’s nose, and worse, ruining the beautiful creature, would be a sure hit to the alpha’s pride. And if the stranger happened to be his other half, then that’d be the cherry on top; most mates connected despite not being fated, but to have such a physical reminder, it would surely drive the Italian insane.

He feels his lips shaping into a smirk, as he watches and waits for the right moment to strike, he’ll have to do it when the omega is separated from the rest of the group, and for that, he would have to show himself. It’d be a risky play, to be sure, but he could slip away unnoticed once he had the omega in his grasp; it was a sweet deal if he said so himself.


	4. Of danger and magnetism {3/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can’t wait to put the main ship in the tags, like, I want to make sure I get to the point where I start building towards it before I actually do that, you know, just in case.

Hazel knows Leo better than she does her brother, a byproduct of having been separated before they could even meet in the first place, vs living together for half a decade. Sure, Selah knows Leo longer, having stuck by his side since they were both 8, and having been the one to tie all three together back when Hazel first met them both; granted, that had been a dark year for Leo. 

The thing is, Hazel sees the way Leo tries to keep himself alert, ready to sprint out of there at the first sign of danger; he’s always been incredibly smart, and considering how well acquainted he was with the darker side of things, she’s not surprised at his caution. But she also sees the brief, blink and you’ll miss it, little trills he makes when the music changes, and when Reyna and Selah do something adorable.

Mostly, she’s keeping an eye out for one instance in particular, it has happened only twice since Selah and Leo joined them at the table, and she’s trying to figure out what exactly caused it. Leo’s an expert as masking his feelings, he’d let even his fated alpha slip away unknowing if he felt they were a threat; it’s why the three of them survived long enough to get here in the first place, but it also annoys Hazel.

Because, in times like this, it stops him from connecting with others; and she knows there’s a spark of something between him and her brother, certifies it when the trill happens a third time. Nico, who seems more than happy to let Reyna and Selah get close, has decided to trade anecdotes with Leo, ones that have to do with her as that’s what the two have in common; nothing that betrays what she’s become, but enough to put a smile to Leo’s face.

The trill happens when Nico gets stuck in a particular word, mouthing it mutely to himself, and then saying it tentatively while looking directly at Leo; the sound is so short and soft that it gets confused as amusement, and as he corrects or assures Nico on his English, it goes unnoticed. It’s kind of cute because Leo’s basically been born bilingual, and because the fact that he’s actually trying to help, and because he’s clearly trying to keep from smiling; and by the look of things, Nico and him are both enjoying this little exchange.

So she’s a little suspicious when Nico excuses himself to get a drink, asking if anyone else feels up for one; Leo declines on account of it being early, and having to get back home on his own, and Hazel doesn’t want to miss anything. She has a feeling something’s gonna happen tonight, and as she goes to the bathroom and catches a glimpse of _him_ , she fears it will not be anything pretty.

Still, she’d be damned if she let _that_ alpha do as he pleased when her best friends were right here, having fun; so she goes warn Nico, and waits for a plan of action.

Leo isn’t an idiot, he knows fated mates when he sees them, and knows better than to try and stop the little dance Selah and Reyna are performing even before they actually get up to dance for real; even if he wants to fight tooth and nail to keep his sister away from the darker part of the world, has been doing it since Arizona, and that one owed favor Leo handled like bottled lightning, only to be used as last resort. There's also Hazel's brother, who's proven to be a careful man, clearly caring of Hazel and Reyna equally; and Leo really hopes he's imagining the pull he feels towards the man.

He only steps away to go to the bathroom, trusting Reyna to keep Selah safe on account of them being destined; and of course the moment he's alone trouble finds him. Trouble in the shape of some alpha who clearly thought too much of themself, and whom was giving the single most disgustingly lustful looks ever.

If Leo feels a pull to Nico, then this person repels him like an equally charged object; but Leo's also not really sure how to get away from them without causing a scene in literally the worst place ever.

“Care for a dance?”

The omega blinks at him, copper collar glinting under the roof lights, clearly unimpressed.

“Leo!”

The omega whirls towards the voice and smiles, soft and fond, then goes back to the cautious look as he turns back to him.

“Sorry, I have to go”

Josiah watches the omega, Leo apparently, stride quickly back to his group; di Angelo sends him a glare from the distance, and then all five leave the premise. That’s ok though, Josiah loves a challenge.


	5. Brushstrokes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we can put ships in this broth, slow cooking a fic is always an interesting ordeal; also I may or may not be working on two things at once, like an ambitious fool.  
> Fated mates work a little different for each letter, as I’ve tried to portray in this story, but if you’re still confused I’ll be more than glad to explain in detail.

Once she learns about what happened in the speakeasy, it’s not hard to convince Reyna to keep an eye out for Leo; or to talk Selah into letting it happen, once they explain why Josiah Hendriks is bad news. Only, they don’t tell Selah the whole story, just that Josiah has a reputation for sleeping around, and generally being nothing but trouble; but that seems enough for Selah, who’s protective of Leo.

Nico’s still worried, because he knows Hendriks, knows his silver tongue first hand, and how many have fallen into his clutches even when warned against him, not just omegas either, though those were his favorites. When they saw the two together in the Laughing Chimera he’d feared the worst, but a single call from Selah had Leo rejoining them, and a quick whiff of his scent spoke of him being relieved for the excuse; which had been the only thing keeping Nico from going to them.

And that was the other thing, the unexpected rush of… possessiveness? Protectiveness? Something deep, and raw, and unquestionably alpha; something that had built inside Nico from the moment Leo opened his mouth to speak. But seeing him with Hendriks? Knowing what he did of the man? That had sparked the small flicker Nico had been easily ignoring as simple fancy, to a roaring inferno; but then Leo had returned smelling of relief, and it was back down to a more manageable size.

It still existed, confusing Nico, not knowing where it came from and why, as well as making things more complicated than necessary; so Nico had to figure it out, while still making sure Hendriks doesn’t pull anything with Hazel’s… whatever it was that Leo was to her, Nico wasn’t actually sure.

Selah wasn’t an idiot, sure, she was a little enamored with the whole hiding in plain sight, and a little hooked to the feeling of danger coiled and waiting to strike behind nice façades; and she was most definitely charmed by Reyna and the pull she felt to her, like a moth to a flame. But none of that meant she didn’t have suspicions as to what exactly she was getting into, so when they told her about an alpha who was known to sleep around and was ‘generally bad news’, she knew they meant the worst kind of ‘bad news’; thus why she approached the guys at Bunker 9 with a ‘there’s a creep interested in Leo, and he’s dangerous’, so they’d be extra alert.

The guys at Bunker 9 have kept Leo safe all this time, so she has no reason not to trust them, but she still lets Reyna do her thing, figuring she’ll report to Nico and he in turn would keep Hazel in the loop; she wants Hazel to be part of their lives again, after all. She’s missed her terribly, Leo’s amazing with her, but having someone in a different letter they both could trust would be extremely helpful. 

She’s worried about Leo, because he’s a smart man, but sometimes he’s too smart for his own good and attracts the wrong people, and other times his smart tongue gets him in trouble; so it’s not a question of Selah distrusting her brother, but rather, knowing him enough to be worried regardless of whether or not he can look after himself. When all it’s said and done, Selah is all too aware of just how well Leo can defend himself, how much damage he’s capable of when pressed into fighting; there’s reason they had to leave Arizona after all.

They could have stayed if they really wanted, trading that one favor Leo was owed for safety, but her brother wanted to put himself as far away from there as possible; and having no reason not to, Selah followed after. And it was wild that a Grace owed Leo a favor, two Graces actually, he did fix those bikes for The Hunters way back, but that one had felt a lot more mundane, more like they’d be willing to pick him up and drive him home if he ever got lost despite their no-boys rule; the one he has with the younger Grace though, feels a lot more dangerous, which is why Selah is glad Leo has yet to trade it in, that he’s being careful.

He wonders about Nico then, with his aura of danger and power, similar to the younger Grace and yet strikingly distinctive; and the effect it has on Leo. Selah saw only a glimpse of it, focused as she became on Reyna as the nature of their connection became more and more obvious the longer they lingered within each other’s grasp; Leo and Nico stayed safely distant, so it was probably not that obvious, but Selah knew her brother.

Leo is hopeless about it, admitting to feeling a pull, yet oblivious to its deeper meaning; so Selah needs to believe Nico is more adept at recognizing the signs. The two are fated, clearly, and it makes only too much sense that they’d find each other just as Selah found Reyna; and that it was Hazel who bridged them all together.


	6. High alert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I actually really enjoy the style I have going for this story?? It’s weird, but like nice, also??

Leo finds himself fussing over his appearance as much as one can when they work with machines, as Leo does; all because he overheard a conversation between Nyssa and Jake talking about sighting an infamous alpha, never actually naming the person, but here Leo is regardless. Which is, a whole thing, because he’s not… he wasn’t supposed to act on the pull he felt that night; because that’s what this is, Leo hopes they’d been talking about a very specific alpha.

Arguably, the chance that it was indeed _him_ , or that Leo would even get to see who it was when his coworkers took that wary tone, was close to none; so the Leo should not be fussing, not even if he was entertaining the idea of following magnetism, or whatever, which he is not doing!

…

…

…

Ok, so maybe, possibly, in some way, it could be conceivable, that it’s probable, that feasibly, he may or may not perchance be doing that. You know, on the account that this is likely his nicest work shirt, and his hair is in a ponytail as opposed to just out of his face with a headband; so you know, perhaps he is.

It’s just-

The way Selah had described what her meeting had been like, what she had felt as she danced with Reyna, it had resonated in Leo’s head, terrifyingly similar. And if it truly was, if he had managed to stumble across his fated mate, would Leo be able to ignore it for his own sake? Or was he ever bound to fall into the shadows?

He takes his lighter out, strikes the stone, and watches the flame for all of a second, before he lets it die, and finally steps out of his home and towards Bunker 9.

The repair shop is bustling with activity, as it so often is, which gives Leo a nice reprieve from thinking about possible almost-s, and things he wasn’t supposed to obsess over; instead dread starts climbing through his back.

It starts when upon arriving for his shift, he finds Nyssa and Jake hovering over something in the order table. Getting closer reveals the object to be a single red rose, with a note attached; and while it’s not the first time Leo’s ever received a gift from some hopeful alpha, there’s something about the flower that unnerves him, but he thinks keeping the note will be smart.

The second thing that happens is that, Harley stops him on his bathroom break, with the usual code for ‘there’s a shady guy outside’, and as they both eavesdrop, he hears his name in a tone that makes his inner omega scream danger. 

The third thing, the one that has Leo hiding in his station, and with every last sense on high alert, was a text message, one from Selah’s fated mate. Reyna had asked her for permission to contact him, and figuring it’d be useful if anything happened to Selah, Leo had agreed; only Reyna had sent him a ‘will be making rounds nearby, looking for a rat’.

Now, Leo was not fluent in the lingo of those who worked in the shadows, but he knew for a fact that Reyna was not actually looking for an animal; Leo’s also never heard someone be called a rat in a flattering manner. But something tells him it’s all connected, and Leo has long since learned to trust his instincts; after cruel ice blue eyes and stalactite sharp smiles, after windswept hair and proud feet, after bell like laughter and earth-tainted fingers.

Reyna had once upon a time stumbled into the criminal world, not the way one stumbles when climbing down the last step of a staircase, but rather the way one does when pushed by something larger; it was not something she remembered fondly, but it had given her many of the abilities she used to this day. Thankfully, she crossed paths with one of the three most dangerous families in the US, and into the life of one Nico di Angelo; separated from Hylla, she found comfort and understanding in Nico, who would become the closest thing to a brother she’d ever have.

She had seen him through the more tumultuous years of his life, and stood at his side without hesitation through some of his toughest choices; no one in their group had been surprised when, upon getting his own branch of the _family_ to lead, he’d chosen her as his right hand.

Hazel had come somewhere between that, and through much tribulation, she made herself a place in their ranks; and Reyna was starting to care for her as a sister. So when she asked them to meet the two people who had helped her get to them, she had seen it as the act of trust it was; she had not been expecting Selah, but could not think of a better way to meet her fated mate.

Hendriks had put a bitter taste to the end of the night, but he was also the reason Reyna realized she had not been the only one to meet their intended that night; though she understood why Nico was having such a hard time figuring it out.

Her brother was a smart man, sure, but he also had a very strong opinion on alpha commands, and his letter’s tendency towards possessiveness, one that fell on the negative end more often than not. It was why, despite his generally cold demeanor, many omegas swooned after him, some even trying to flirt to little success; but he’d been charming with Leo, soft smile on his lips.

So yes, Reyna had no doubt in her mind that the two were fated, and that Nico’s inner alpha was probably reacting in a somewhat possessive manner in presence of the omega meant for him; and because of who he was, Nico was suppressing it without actually stopping to make sense of why it was happening. Reyna knew better than to rush him though, but she did agree fully to keeping an eye out for Leo; not that she wouldn’t have regardless, anyone who caught Hendriks’ attention was in danger.

She knew, had seen it happen, had lost allies if not friends to that man’s greed; and she refused to let it keep happening, not when she could do something about it.


	7. Forced pyre {1/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone explain to me why I picked the two most complex AUs I have to be the stories I’m currently working on side-by-side, please, I beg you. Me, also: adds yet another OC into story 
> 
> Figured I should start making use of that M rating like I planned from the get-go. This took a bit because I was extremely uncomfortable writing it, so… TRIGGER WARNING: alpha commands, kidnapping

Josiah thought himself a patient man, he had to be in order to play the game he did, and he was a good player too if he said so himself; so how, in the lapse of only a week, had he been so easily riled by a group of mechanics? Granted, they’ve been thwarting every last one of his attempts at getting sweet Leo outside, where Josiah could work his magic with him.

But worse, they’ve somehow managed to put him in direct line of sight of Memento Mori’s very own attack wolf, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, who also happened to be Di Angelo’s right hand woman. Josiah might’ve wanted to swoop the rug from under Di Angelo’s privileged feet, but he knew better than to be too forward, least he want to face her fangs; he’s already on her bad side, even without his resentment towards Di Angelo, so he’s in thin fucking ice.

Do Hephaestus’ little imps know that? Was that why they kept putting him so close to her path? What was Leo to them, that they gave themselves away like this? And how had Di Angelo, of all fucking people, managed to find him? The forger’s spawn, as those in the known referred to them, were generally impossible to pin down; but Josiah recognized their calling card, like any good sewer rat who valued their life.

It still didn’t answer his question, as far as he knew all nine imps were accounted for, having heard word on the street about a new ninth after the death of Beckendorf; some girl who had the same expertise to explosives as her predecessor, not that Josiah felt particularly tempted to try her, Hephaestus had never picked anyone green for the 9, and he had no reason to think the man had changed his mind. So, he had to have a different kind of connection, if he worked in their shop, and he was this protected; Josiah felt like he’d chosen to poke a hornet nest, and yet…

Yet the moment he saw the omega walking out of the shop he was reminded of why he’d been so attracted back in the speakeasy; in the fading tones of sunset, Leo glowed as though lined with fire, and Josiah felt a sudden kinship with moths.

He’d planned to ruin him in order to hurt Di Angelo’s pride, but what if he actually kept him? If he made away with one of Hephaestus’ own?

He’d be untouchable.

It wouldn’t be his usual style, but with the extra people at play, and with the memory of a collar coming back to him, he didn’t exactly have the luxury of doing it the usual way; the omega would be pissed, but nature was a powerful thing, and Josiah could easily have him begging for his knot in seconds. Fated or not, there was little an unmated omega could do against an alpha.

Leo’s wearing his fake collar again, he’d taken it with him to work on the last few kinks so it is as close to a real one as he can get it, and with his swirling emotions over finding out he has acquired a stalker, it brings him a small bit of safety. Collars were not something easily taken off, they served as a protection for the omega, as courting was bound to attract attention; this way they wouldn’t be forcefully mated to some no-good alpha who wanted to take what wasn’t his.

He played with the small pendant on the collar, having added a symbol to it at the request of Lyra, who not only knew who Nyssa and Jake had been talking about that morning, but also exactly what kind of creep it was. She’d been adamant about the design, saying it would help ward of any unwanted attention, least his attacker had a death wish. 

It was a gear design with clock hands pointing to 9 o’clock, the same design that hung from the front door of the shop, only he’d added a little something; it was something he spotted on the lapel of Reyna’s clothes at the speakeasy, and on a ring in Nico’s fingers. A small skull, right beneath the clock hands, unnoticeable unless you got close; a small indulgence. 

He becomes impossibly glad for it when his nose catches a whiff of sharp alpha scent, something like male perfume, sweat, and cigarette ash; only the combination is making Leo nauseous as opposed to how alpha scents normally affect omegas. Leo knows immediately who it is, even when he only spent a moment close before now, his instincts don’t lie; it’s the alpha from the speakeasy, the one that had made every nerve in Leo’s body light up with absolute aversion.

He quickens his steps, hand going to clutch at the pendant hanging from his mock-collar, it’s all he can do before the alpha opens his mouth and beckons him back; the command feels like slime trying to flow through his veins, tastes like stomach acid, and Leo won’t be surprised if he vomits once this is over, if he survives it that is.

Still, he’s an omega, and nature has always had a particularly strong pull in him, and alpha commands are impossible to ignore for someone unmated like him; and so he feels himself turning around and walking towards the alpha who just spoke. When his feet stop he gets a second to take the man in, and is unsurprised when it’s the same alpha he spoke to at the speakeasy; dusty brown hair and green eyes that sort of arch towards his ears making his whole face look wonky, and if Leo wasn’t under the effect of a command, he’d laugh at it, like he almost had back at the speakeasy even through his disgust.

“ **Follow me pet** ”

Externally, Leo does as told, walking after the alpha easily and without hesitance; internally, he’s got every alarm ringing, hoping beyond hope that the alpha is careless and crosses where Reyna’s been patrolling. Looking for him, Leo figured almost immediately, as he suddenly understood the term ‘rat’ with perfect clarity; only that was insulting to actual rats.

The alpha takes him through streets Leo would avoid normally, and to a garage where the ugliest green car sits; or at least the color is ugly, the poor ford has done nothing to Leo, or to deserve being that shade of green. The door of the car is opened and if Leo could control his body he’d swallow, as he comes to understand that Reyna will not see this happening in time; he doesn’t think she’d stay inactive were she to see this happening, she just doesn’t seem the type.

Something cold presses against his skin, as he realizes he’s had his hands on his pockets the whole time, he feels his fingers itching; and despite the relationship he has with that particular item normally, he’s now impossibly glad for it. Leo knows the command will only last so long, and the alpha will have to inevitably issue a new one, so he starts forming a plan.


	8. Forced pyre {2/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I, am still in love with the style this story chose to be written in? I love how it goes from tone to tone seamlessly; I??? have no idea how that happened??????
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: attempted rape, attempted immolation (the first one is a lot more low-key than the second)

He’s only 15 when his blood pulls him into things he’d rather not deal with, wrangling a machine he was never meant to know how to use into releasing the heavy load it held in the air atop a pair of unlucky bastards who’d never seen the light again; then watching flame consume any remaining proof alongside some silver-tonged pretty face, and the blond menace she called a boyfriend. His father had owed a bid, sure, but Leo had gone above and beyond what was expected of him, and so won himself a favor from one of the most dangerous people in the world; and if there had been any tension between himself and the alpha despite what pretty face had claimed, then that was better left buried with the ashes.

Not that it'd been his first tango with that world, considering the smoke trailing his steps like a shadow, one he thought he'd finally escaped when Selah and him parted from Arizona. Still it was a particularly notable one; and it was supposed to be the last one.

Leo mentally laughed at his own misfortune, fingers finally grasping metal, the last vestiges of the command like pinpricks of electricity. The alpha, who Leo knew was called Josiah because the asshole was thinking of having him scream the name, and while Leo didn’t plan on giving him the pleasure, he also didn’t want to keep calling him ‘alpha’ on similar grounds; Josiah had managed to take him all the way to whatever this was.

The place was tucked away, in poor shape, consisted of a single room better suited for torturing someone than anything else, which was just as well considering what Leo thought of this whole thing; he did wonder why a guy like Josiah had access to a place like this when he clearly wasn’t in a group, Leo knew the type better than he cared to admit. 

There’s a blink of a moment, where the command stops working and Leo gets his hand safely around his lighter, where Josiah gets distracted looking for a proper restrain. Leo’s mind goes quiet, timing his movements to the sounds of Josiah moving stuff around; he only has the one chance, as Josiah turns back around, and before he open his mouth to say the next command.

Everything happens in a second.

Leo sprints forwards, already clicking the stone expertly, flame coming out of the lighter blue instead of red, because he’s tinkered with the lighter more times than he can count; and he aims for Josiah’s scalp, knowing it’ll burn the easiest. But he never gets to make contact because they’re both sent tumbling by the door being kicked open; and then Reyna is there, above Josiah, and there’s an unknown beta gently coaxing Leo away.

Selah all but collapses into a couch, the place she’s been taken to is nothing short of a mansion, but Hazel insisted it was perfectly safe, and less likely to cause trouble the way a hospital would. Not that Selah questioned those things, particularly because the place belonged to Di Angelo, her brother’s fated.

She was, however, exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster Leo had put her through; and worse, she couldn’t even be mad at him because she knew exactly how alpha commands worked. The beta healer who apparently also lived in the mansion had disappeared into a room with Leo, in order to make sure everything was ok, and possibly get him to calm down; which even though Selah was a lot more familiar with Leo, she had no experience doing, or at least, not to an omega in shock.

Reyna appeared in the hallway, with a tense looking alpha right behind her, Selah stood up instantly, walking to meet with _her_ beta half-way.

“Has Will told you anything yet?”

Selah is a little busy checking on Reyna to really make sense of the question, the beta looks tired, and guilt riddled, but otherwise ok, and Selah can feel herself relax a smidge; which then allows her to register words and be confused about them. Luckily, the alpha reaches them just then.

“Will is our resident doctor”

Selah looks at him.

“Blonde beta with the sunny disposition and general brightness?”

Di Angelo smiles in clear amusement.

“That’s very accurate”

Selah sighs and nods.

“He says Leo is mostly in shock, though they’re making sure that dick didn’t get violent before you found him”

Di Angelo’s eyes go dark, tensing again, and the combination reminds Selah of how she felt when she met Thalia, like danger and familiarity wrapped in a pretty package; Selah was a lesbian, but she was not blind, and Di Angelo knew how to dress. Also, Selah was absolutely sticking with the surname until the whole thing between him and her brother got resolved.

The door to the room she’s been sitting in front of opens softly, letting out the betta who’d been treating Leo; Selah notes that he has scratches all over his face and flinches.

“Did he-?”

The beta, Will according to Reyna and Di Angelo, offers her a tired but gentle smile.

“He’s a fighter”

She relaxes another smidge at those words, then she makes the question she thought she wouldn’t have to make.

“What actually happened?”


	9. Forced pyre {3/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a pause, before I continue, because I wanted to stablish a few things before I delve into the Scene TM; as you do. 
> 
> Warning: long

Will takes a step forwards, as the room becomes tense.

“Well, unless Reyna plans on severing your bond, I do think you deserve the truth”

He says that while looking straight at Nico, and once upon a time that tendency Will had to treat him as a person instead of the heir to the Memento Mori family had led them into a rocky relationship, one they’d both backed away from once they realized they were just riling each other up in the wrong way.

“Normally, I’d tell you that Hendricks is just an asshole who likes to seduce people, especially if he thinks them taken”

Selah turns to him, eyebrows raised, clearly still frustrated about being kept out of the loop.

“But?”

Nico looks at Reyna, because she’s the one who actually got to experience part of the altercation. She steps in, dutifully.

“We saw him talking with Leo back at the Laughing Chimera, we think it was a personal attack since you two were with us”

Selah bites her lip, making herself smaller, eyes on the floor; and Nico can’t blame her for the obvious hesitance and doubt, because she’s tied to Reyna, and this has to be a grim sort of realization about what that means. Will, for his part, has a pained look on his face.

“That’s not all”

All three turn to him immediately, and Nico knows he’s going to hate whatever is said next.

“Hendricks tried to force a bond with him”

Something clicks, as Nico feels a sudden sense of outrage, quiet and deadly like poison, plans for what he’ll do to the rat Reyna caught him already whirling through his mind; and it’s a simple realization, one that helps make sense of why he’s been unable to keep Leo out of his mind.

It’s sort of funny, in a way, and very much on par with Nico’s fortune in love thus far; both that he found his fated mate the same day Reyna found hers, but also that he completely missed this fact until now.

“Ok”

Nico’s startled out of his realization, and everything it implies, by the very decided tone in Selah’s voice; and even further when the omega turns her whole body towards him with fire in her eyes.

"Ok, you fix this and I'll convince him not to run "

Reyna makes a noise of protest.

"Run?"

Selah smiles humorlessly.

"We could do it"

Will chuckles, but Selah doesn't flinch, doesn't even move her eyes from Nico.

"You'd never find us again"

Sure and even, a threat and a promise wrapped in one; and while Nico’s connection to Leo was still nonexistent, he could never bear to be the reason Reyna was ripped from her fated mate. He turns to Will, who looked lost.

“Is he up for it?”

Will blinks at him, then his eyes go to the other two people in the hallway, and then back to him, still very much confused.

“Sure?”

Nico nods and walks by him and into the room, before he closes the door he overhears something.

“What just happened?”

As he expected, Leo hurled what little he had in his stomach the moment he woke up, luckily, the beta taking care of him had expected this, and prepared beforehand; he learned the man was named Will, and he was a medic. That was, of course, after he attacked the poor guy for trying to get him to lay back down; granted, he was a terrified omega in a strange place, so Will should’ve known better.

“Where am I?”

Will smiles at him, probably thinking he’s being reassuring, every last one of his nerves is in high alert.

“The Cerberus manor, Reyna brought you here”

Leo swallows harshly, hand going for his neck, ghosting where his mock-collar was meant to be.

“Death reminders”

Will chuckles, and Leo’s nerves stand on edge.

“You’re sharp as a needle, aren’t you?”

It’s a testament to how much practice Leo has containing his instincts, that he doesn’t instantly attack Will again; because every last cell in his body is screaming threat.

“It’s a commonly known term”

He looks away, body tensing, suddenly wishing he still had the collar, even if it would’ve made it impossible to vomit; the difference between Leo’s fake item from the real thing. Safety is a precious thing for unmarked omegas, never mind one who’s never actually been courted, one like Leo.

And then he notices it, like the whistle of a teapot, leaving his ears ringing, like acid running through his veins; he stares at his hands, vision blurring, and he thinks he hears something happening. He doesn’t know how long he stays like that, trying to make sense of what his senses are telling him, versus what his omega instincts are telling him, versus what his scrambled mind is telling him; until he finally gathers his voice well enough to ask about it.

“Why do I still smell like Josiah?”

There’s a sharp sound, and the feeling of cold, at first jolting but then oh so soothing, particularly for Leo, who’s so used to scalding heat. He notes the insistent sense of alpha even before he lifts his head to look, finding Will gone completely, and Hazel’s brother standing in front of him.

“Hendricks”

It’s said a little like a correction, impulsive but pressing; the use of the name clearly had sat wrong with the alpha.

“I didn’t want to call him alpha, and he only offered his first name”

Leo doesn’t know why he explains it, only he does, and hates that this whole mess might screw whatever chance he might’ve had. Because he does know the answer, knows even before Nico says it.

“He tried to force you into a bond”

Leo bites his lip, eyes shutting tightly, he’d known and yet hadn’t wanted to know; and maybe he’s shaking a little out of frustration, because he had been willing, if only for a second, to try chasing this possible connection he still feels towards Nico, and now that’s ruined. But then the bed dips beside him, slowly and softly, and Leo’s gifted with a muted whiff of alpha scent; he’s hesitant to look, but Nico really is right there when he does.

Onyx eyes are trained on him, and it’s such an easy color to sink into, or maybe that’s just the connection sparkling into life now that Leo’s acknowledged its existence; but that would mean Nico has too, and- and…

“What do you want me to do?”

The question is soft, even, and in a tone that has Leo swallowing a mewl; and oh, wonderful, his omega is trying to rid of the unwanted bond by coaxing Nico into scenting him, that’s definitely a great idea. NOT.

“With what?”

Leo isn’t stupid, but just in case Will hasn’t told Nico about his most recent discovery, he’ll play naïve to keep out of trouble. Nico locks eyes with him, and Leo’s inner omega all but melts, though he manages to keep himself in check.

“I been meaning to make that rat pay way before this mess, but as someone who suffered him, I figured I’d let you have a stab at him”

Leo shivers, and it’s a little wild how quickly his mind comes up with ideas to offer Nico; only his eyes skim the room and land on the table where lay his mock collar and his lighter. Wordlessly, the alpha stands back up, crosses the room, and returns with both items; Leo snatches the mock collar quickly, feeling safer with it on, and then directs his attention to the lighter.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t use that damned thing ever again”

Nico makes a curious noise at that, but Leo meets his eyes again and presses forward.

“But the moment his command fell off, all I wanted was to burn him”

Nico nods, and Leo puts a hand over the lighter, trying to ignore how he’s also holding the alpha’s hand now by proxy.

“It’s been heavily modified, don’t burn yourself”

Nico’s free hand moves to take Leo’s, making a weird sandwich, which is a though Leo entertains if only to keep himself from purring at the amount of attention the alpha is giving him.

“I’ll return it to you”

And then, with a gentleness that shakes Leo to his bone marrow, he lifts Leo’s hand and presses his lips against the knuckles.

“But that’s not all, I know that you want what little connection there is severed sooner rather than later”

Leo feels like his heart might just have climbed into his throat, but his head is otherwise quiet as it focuses on the words Nico’s saying.

“I would like to help with that, if you’d allow me”

They both know what it’d mean, particularly when there’s this possibility still unanswered between them. But when Leo stops, and separates himself from what he knows, and what his omega is telling him, he finds that, despite everything, he feels safe.

“You can, please do”

His voice trembles, as he’s not quick enough to rein it in, but Nico smiles at him. It’s a different smile, one that’s a little amused, a little enticing, and a lot soft; and Leo feels like it’s been tailor made for him.

“I’m still gonna court you after”

It’s the seriousness of the promise that has Leo laughing, not a nervous or forced laugh, but a genuine one that comes from giddiness; because Leo’s always wanted to be courted, and he finds Nico’s insistence on doing it despite what they’re agreeing to endearing. Nico’s smile stretches just slightly higher, and then he tugs Leo a little closer.

One can bond someone without mating them, but to undo a bond, even a half-formed one like the one forced upon Leo, only could be achieved through mating. So when Nico’s hand goes for the pendant hanging off of Leo’s mock collar, the omega doesn’t even flinch; Nico lets out another curious noise.

“Did you do the design too?”

Leo feels heat climb to his face, as he nods in lieu of an answer; the alpha hums in thought.

“Would you mind me using it on the real one?”

Leo stares, not having expected that in the slightest.

“I don’t”

Nico smiles.

“Good, it’s a very fitting design, but I might need to make that skull bigger”

Leo nods rapidly, and then Nico’s hands are undoing the front clasp and slipping the collar away softly. And it’s a testament to the fact that they’re fated, that when Nico brushes the inside of his wrist against Leo’s bond site, the room just fills with the omega’s scent.

Leo lets out a breathy chuckle at that, because of course this is how they finally settle that, two seconds away from mating because some asshole tried to force Leo into a bond; but thankfully Nico doesn’t let him think about that too much, bridging the distance between them, and nosing at Leo’s neck. Leo takes a deep breath before he arches for the alpha, closing his eyes as he feels teeth brush the skin, and then finally sink into his bond site; the pain comes and goes almost instantly, and Leo’s left hazy as Nico detaches.

Then Nico arches his own neck.

“Oh, you…”

The alpha’s scent fills the room, battling Leo’s, an amused sort of sound to accompany it.

“Si”

And really, who’s Leo to argue with that? So he leans forward, and noses his way to the alpha’s bond site, and sinks his teeth in. As matings go, this one’s a little underwhelming, but Leo supposes they have time to work up to that.


	10. Aftermath and consequence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I tried to prepare for this, but if I kept at it I would’ve never gone through with it, and like, this is one of maybe five things that justify the M rating. So, you know.   
> This is me telling you to never look down on someone who can do a good torture scene, because let me tell you, it is a lot harder than you think. 
> 
> WARNING: me trying and failing at writing torture despite that being one of the key reasons this has an M rating.

Josiah wakes up on a small dim lit room, the chair and table he’s been bound to the only thing inside. There’s a strong smell in the air that tells Josiah this room doesn’t open often, but it is clean if the hint of chlorine is anything to go by.

He’d like to say he’d been in the situation before, and he had kind of, but there was something about this room, a sort of eerie pressure; but maybe that was just death finally at Josiah’s heels. He’d been so close too, if that beta hadn’t decided to spoil his fun, it would’ve been so good, the omega was actually going to fight him, even through the bond Josiah had managed to start shaping during the car ride; none of the omegas he’d even been with had known of the length of commands, or had kept the fight after the first taste of alpha voice with a half-formed bond.

He hadn’t realized how bored he was with the slow but true method, until he was face to face with an omega it didn’t work with; the little thing may have actually hurt him if not for the rude interruption. Josiah would’ve destroyed him, finished the bond and sealed it with a mark, and then taken what was his over and over, until it was the only thing the omega knew, until it became a need, an obsession; until the omega was begging and pleading to be knotted, again and again.

And once it became addiction, Josiah would’ve freed him, let him come back running on his own will, watch him tear apart every connection he had for one more hit. It would’ve been glorious, particularly when the omega was tangled not only with the son of one of the big three, but also with the man who controlled the entire weapon trade of the country.

To have such a piece right in his palm, ready and eager to do anything he said, he’d be shot up the ladder all the way up with the big shots, all while having the pleasure of knowing he dozed the inferno that the omega seemed to be. Instead, he’s in this creepy ass room, waiting for his walk to the gallows, having only managed a half-formed bond, which would piss Di Angelo for sure, but Josiah was so over him; no, he wanted Leo.

Which is why when company finally arrives through the door, smelling of the omega that has captured Josiah’s entire attention, and recently marked; he lets out the nastiest of snarls. To his credit, Di Angelo does not look smug like he could’ve, but rather dangerously calm as he drags a chair into the room and sits down in front of Josiah.

“Come to brag about your new toy?” 

Di Angelo doesn’t answer, simply taking a knife and a lighter out from somewhere and into the table; Josiah is a little confused at what the items imply, considering who he is.

“Thought you’d be eager to rid of me, thorn in your soles that I’ve been”

Di Angelo looks at him then, dark eyes just as cold as the rest of him.

“Have you?”

Josiah feels himself thrashing against his bonds before he can even think about doing it; Di Angelo is a professional asshole, he’ll give him that.

“See, that wouldn’t matter anyway, because you fucked with the wrong omega”

There’s something toxic to the tone, not so much an alpha being possessive, but rather what Josiah expected of a family head who had one of their members slighted.

Nico did not have the patience for this sort of thing, mainly because getting information from people was tedious normally, and having to also worry about how much is good for hurting but not killing on top of that isn’t exactly time saving. Is why sometimes, in a family or gang, there’s a member dedicated to torture specifically; but there’s no interrogation to be done here, and Nico’s omega asked him to burn the rat, so he will.

And maybe his inner alpha is annoyed by the fact that technically Hendricks is the only reason Leo is now his; Nico can only hope the possessiveness either calms down, or gets easier to deal with. He won’t be like Hendricks, has already made up his mind about trying to make things with Leo work for real, refuses to let the fact that they’re fated get to his head.

The hands are bound to the table, as it had been long decided whoever did this would start there, Nico takes the fingers one by one, breaking them as he goes, there’s no questions, no goading, he doesn’t want information, doesn’t care for any words the other has to say.

Josiah is different, he wants to hurt, he wants to mark, wants to write himself on someone else’s skin; and Josiah’s obsession with Nico is comparable with his obsession with Leo, but the mixture of both leaves him wrathful.

There’s skin peeled with an ice cold blade and then set ablaze by a cyan blue flame, filling the room with the smell of burnt meat and howling; primal, and angry rather than hurt. And then Josiah is left alone again, as though to rot.

The door does open once more eventually, by a man Josiah does not know, one who takes him out of the room and through some hallways into a garage. There a woman waits, and this one Josiah does know, enough to wish he’d still be on that chair, being burnt alive; Hephaestus’ current number one, sneering at him.

She was just shy of 13 when, on a lucky turn, she wound up on the same shelter as Leo Valdez; Nyssa is sure he doesn’t actually remember it, as he was around 8 or 9 years old. However, he was still the reason she’d been given the chance to join the nine; to have a family.

She’d been relieved to see him again, alive and seemingly well, and seeing how each of the nine interacted with him was fun once she learned the truth of who he was. Though it was a common agreement that business stay out of the workshop, as they all respected Leo’s choice of not getting involved with their world.

So to say that she’s angry once she receives the message is an understatement, because now Leo was deeply woven in; and there was no going back. It actually takes her the entire walk to the Cerberus manor to accept that the Memento Mori weren’t to blame for the actions of some sewer rat who wanted to rise the ranks the ‘easy’ way; Nyssa had met plenty of those since joining the 9.

Nyssa wants the rights to his end, but for that she has to reach an agreement with the head of the city’s branch of the MM; whose second in command sent her the message, so it shouldn’t be a problem normally. She would like to stress that ‘normally’.

See, there was this thing where sometimes two people clicked on a deep biological level, to the point of feeling an otherwise unexplainable pull to each other; society referred to this as ‘fated mates’, and they had varying effects. Nyssa had once upon a time considered the idea of it, like she’s sure most people do, but eventually decided to put her path first; but she knew and understood that not everyone would do the same.

Thus, it’s not the fact that Di Angelo is this set on making a ‘fated’ connection work that is surprising, but rather that whatever higher power is in charge, decided to match Leo with someone like him. Nothing against Di Angelo, the alpha had a surprisingly good reputation amongst the good majority of the shadow-world, despite his status and connections; but Leo had wanted nothing to do with their world, so the situation was a little complicated.

Still, Nyssa agreed on his terms, and picked up the rat at the manor’s garage, and notes with a small feeling of vindication, that the bastard’s fingers have been turned useless. Not that it matters, cause come tomorrow he’ll be six feet under with no grave to visit, or maybe down the bottom of the nearest river, let the Riptides deal with the fallout; two birds with one stone, and one less rat in the streets.

Yes, that’ll do nicely.


	11. Beginning with a meal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, let’s do some courting! 
> 
> As I’m unsure of where exactly Leo’s family is from, I went with a general latinian style “rice-stew”; which, there’s way too many types of rice-stew anyway, so the one I made up on the spot could absolutely be one of them. For the food enthusiasts, the dish prolyl has some dehydrated carrots, garlic and onion powders, paprika, for sure, and maybe nutmeg, or black pepper; and like salt, and saffron, or the cheaper and ‘tangier’ option: turmeric, which is better for your bones, but harder to wash off stuff.

Selah and Leo settle in a guestroom that’s been cleared for them for the rest of the weekend, should they chose to stay here while their collars are made; because while Leo now has a very noticeable mark in his neck, Nico’s insistence on courting him means he gets a collar. He’s not surprised his sister’s getting one too, considering how smoothly the connection had gone for her and Reyna.

But he’s a little unsure as to what comes next, considering this is his first time courting or being courted, and Nico’s an alpha, one that could most definitely get anyone he wanted; and on top of all that, he’s Leo’s fated. The mock collar manages to hide the thin black lines of Nico’s mark well enough that it may as well not be there, and Leo feels some way about it, he just doesn’t know which; he does stop wearing it inside the mansion, because nobody here would dare challenge Nico.

It’s just all so new, and complicated, and terrifying.

And yet.

Yet.

Yet, Leo choses to stay in the manor, and takes over the kitchen; he may not know the proper rules of courting, but he does know how to make a good meal, and he feels like he owes everyone in the manor this much after the Hendricks thing.

This is how he finds himself, wooden spoon in hand, staring at a pair of very similar looking individuals with matching grins. Luckily, for everyone involved, Leo could multitask like the best, so the food was not ruined in his surprise over seeing them.

There’s a moment of silence as Leo stares at them and they stare at him, and because Leo hates this sort of thing he sort of improvises.

“Does anyone have a problem with spicy food?”

This causes the two, and they must be related with how similar they look, to exchange looks; and then they’re counting fingers, and shooting more looks at each other, and making faces, before one of them turns to him.

“No one should be”

Leo notes their nose is crooked like it broke and was set a little clumsily, and they has a beauty mark right below the right corner of their lips. He nods, and turns back around to keep stirring, there’s heavy footsteps coming closer and stopping a little further than the siblings.

“Who’s the pretty scent?”

He doesn’t turn this time, as some of the rice got stuck and he’s trying to get it out without making a mess.

“Leo Valdez, how many am I feeding?”

Then he smells it, even drowned by the smell of food, the unmistakable hint of alpha; which is a blessing given how silent _he_ is.

“Ten total, if your sister decided to stay”

Leo hums.

“This should do then, you’re ok with spice, right?”

The bond tells Leo the alpha’s moving closer, so he can repress a shiver at the proximity to his _mate_.

“I wouldn’t know”

Leo feels himself smiling, as he finally moves his eyes from the pot to instead look at Nico.

“I’ll have to fix that, then”

Nico gives him an amused smile in response.

As it turns out, the brothers are called Travis and Connor, Travis being the one with the crooked nose and beauty mark, Connor has a prominent scar on his right ear, and some burns he shows off to Leo after Nico returns the lighter. Leo doesn’t have any burn marks, but he does have a few scars here and there; he only shows the one in his chin and the ones on his hands.

Both of them are betas, as is the other person in the room, who goes by Clovis, and is apparently a functioning sleep-walker; which is a whole concept Travis and Connor try to explain to Leo, but he doesn’t actually get it. He is, however, amused when Nico hits both of them on the backs of their heads and tells Leo to just ignore them, to their harmonious protest.

They seem eager to know Leo, which makes the matter of getting them to set the table that much easier; though Leo is being very careful in what he shares. He knows that if all goes well, Nico will have to know the more complicated parts of it, but for now, Leo’s allowed to be cautious.

Selah and Reyna join them together with Will, right as Leo starts serving dishes, and the conversation swiftly turns onto the other omega; Selah doesn’t have as much to hide, though Leo is pleased of how she handles her answers all the same. Regardless of fate, and connections, and want; these are still strangers.

Hazel arrives a little later, together with yet another beta, this one looks a little unsettled, Leo looks to his right, to the head of the table where Nico sits, for some explanation.

“Frank, Hazel, why don’t you grab a plate and join us?”

Hazel arches an eyebrow, Leo smiles at her.

“I cooked”

Her face brightens up, and she giddily pulls the beta, Frank apparently, towards the table; and then they all get distracted by the food; which Leo receives plenty of compliments for.

It sort of feels… domestic, in a way, and the lack of a better term bothers Leo a little, because he’s not supposed to fall into this so easily. But well, fate has a hand in that, he supposes.

If anything, at least his connection to Nico explains why he’s so tangled into the darker parts of the world; or it would, if Leo were the type to believe that sort of thing. Inconvenient as it is to have his mate be the son of one of the most powerful men in the world; Leo’s father would have pulled him in eventually, regardless.

Then, since this was inevitable, Leo might as well make himself comfortable with Nico’s people; he’s sure he’ll be getting really familiar with them during the courting progress anyway, but he’d rather start with the right foot, so to speak.

There’s also the fact that Nico doesn’t actually have to court Leo, not when they have each other’s marks, and the fact that he insisted on it speaks volumes of the alpha. So Leo’s more than willing to give this entire ordeal a chance.


	12. Beginning with a necklace.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Canonically, Leo likes cooking, and in context it would be a skill that has gotten him into the good graces of people; but he’s also a creator, and so needs a space where he can create.

Nico is deep into his least favorite part of running a business, when a combination of footsteps and his bond flaring into attention tells him there’s someone at his door; unlike everyone else in this family, the omega stops at the doorway for a moment, clinking sounds indicating he’s trying to maneuver around a tray full of something. It takes Nico a moment to realize that Leo’s trying to knock, and has a sudden rush of appreciation.

“You can come in”

There’s a little more clinking before the footsteps start again, this time moving closer to Nico, it stops about the other side of the desk, probably to try and figure out where to set down the tray.

“You’re supposed to be adding those, not subtracting”

Nico looks up then, to Leo holding the suspected tray with two steaming cups and a plate of biscuits; the omega has his eyes trained on the sheet in front of Nico. The alpha follows those eyes back to his papers and realizes, after a quick back and forth between the report and Nico’s counts, that Leo is absolutely right.

“I should’ve seen that”

To his credit, instead of laughing, Leo simply takes the pages Nico’s already done and trades them for the tray in an impressive show of equilibrium.

“Maybe you need a break, how long have you been at this?”

Nico glances to the clock and winces.

“Too long, join me?”

Leo smiles at him in clear amusement from behind the pages he’s obviously revising; before sitting himself in the chair Nico leaves in front of his desk for when he has guests in his office. Leo claims one of the mugs, and sips on it as he scans the papers in his hand, Nico steals a biscuit.

“You only got the last two wrong, well, technically the very first one is wrong too, but I’m guessing you made some sort of arrangement to get such low numbers”

Nico hums, finally taking the other mug into his hands, it’s a simple dark coffee, his preferred drink, and half the reason he can’t smell Leo’s natural scent.

“You could call it a family discount”

Leo takes a biscuit for himself, nodding sagely.

“So just the last two, clearly out of distraction, they’ll be easy enough to fix”

Nico takes a larger gulp of his coffee.

“And then I have three more to go through, four if I count the exchange I did with your…”

He makes a motion with his hand, Leo drinks from his mug like it isn’t still scalding hot for a few beats before setting it back down.

“We work at the same repair shop”

Nico raises an eyebrow at him, Leo takes another biscuit, giving him a pointed look; he decides to let it go for now, he’ll earn Leo’s secrets eventually, he’s sure.

“Speaking of, I have something I’d like to show you”

Nico takes him to a secluded room on the first floor, there isn’t much inside, but it’s surprisingly well lit, and there’s a lot of space. And then, his eyes catch onto something further back, almost tucked away; dark stones that almost fade into the shadows, especially when the contraption is unlit, a furnace.

“Is this…?”

He hears Nico shift at his side.

“I know it’s not much right now, but I thought it’d make for a good studio of sorts”

Leo turns and finds him looking away, ears red, as though flustered.

“A studio”

Nico nods, seemingly encouraged by Leo’s curiosity.

“I figured you’d want a space to make things, like those mock collars, or whatever else comes to your mind”

Leo waits for him to say something, for some of sign that this is a trick; even tries pressing it.

“It’s mine”

Nico, to his credit, only stutters a little, finally looking at Leo.

“It’s bad isn’t it?”

It’s Leo’s turn to be flustered.

“No, it’s perfect”

Nico puffs up at that, in a manner that is very much alpha, and also somewhat endearing; Leo kind of wants to do something about it, but isn’t sure what. Instead, he decides to ask the thing that’s still in his mind.

“But are you sure?”

Nico gives him a soft sort of look, clearly picking up the honesty of the question from the bond.

“Of course, I want you to be comfortable here”

Leo melts a little at that, somehow managing not to sigh like some character on a love story; even though Nico has no reason to do all of this, so it means just that much more to Leo. The alpha then turns to fully face him, pulling out a rectangular box Leo had failed to notice before.

“It’s not the most conventional way but-”

Here he drops to one knee, opening the box to reveal a wine red collar with a spiral design in silver, and a circular pendant of the actual metal, with a black skull silhouette and two red lines in the position of nine o’clock.

“Would you allow me to court you officially?”

Externally, Leo is only emotionally strong enough to nod avidly in order to avoid weeping, which is a perfectly natural reaction considering he never thought anyone would ever ask to court him; internally, Leo has the very sudden urge to kiss Nico stupid, which is, epiphany inducing.

Thankfully, Nico doesn’t comment on his non-verbal response, simply standing back up and motioning for him to turn so he can put the collar on; which Leo does while steaming in this new discovery. Unlike his invention, which clasped at the front, the clasp in an actual collar has an age old safety mechanism, that makes it not only so that Nico is the only alpha that can open it, but also, so that Nico is also unable to when in rut; Leo had tried to recreate it, but omega hormones didn’t mix with metal the way alpha hormones did, thus how a beta was able to remove it before.

It’s kind of disorienting, how it immediately dulls the potency of the bond, while also making Leo feel as though protected by the alpha; and that’s also part of it, how safe Leo feels now covered in Nico’s scent, or how proud he is of his own scent surrounding the alpha.


	13. Traded stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love how the three and the colon make a face, it makes me smile every time. I do mean 3: btw, in case that was unclear.  
> Snippets of a conversation, because I’m still unsure how I want the Selah x Reyna thing to work; please be patient with me.

It’s a cool summer night, the few stars that are still visible gleam over the city’s skyline, a half-moon just popping out from behind a nearby building. Two figures walk from streetlight to streetlight, in deep conversation, the one of the right wearing an open skirt short sleeved dress, the one on the left wearing one with a slit on the skirt to show her leg.

Upon closer look, one can see that the figure on the right is wearing a dark collar with a bright silver pendant; an even closer look shows said pendant to have a design for four letters interwoven together into an artistic pattern, and a small skull engraved into the lower-left corner.

“I get disliking alpha commands, they’re a complex thing really, but it’s not like omegas don’t have their own version of it”

Selah scrunches her nose, like she finds the whole thing unappealing.

“It’s just that commands are a lot more direct”

Reyna gives her a pensive look.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in use, it’s called a wail, right?”

Selah’s face softens into a smile

“Yeah, we’re taught very young to only use it in emergencies”

She sighs tiredly, looking straight ahead.

“I think that’s the real issue, that omegas are taught to repress our instincts, but alphas aren’t”

Reyna hums, nodding her head.

“It does sound sort of stupid when you say it like that”

Selah grins at her.

“You can say bullshit, it’s ok, I won’t snitch”

Reyna laughs.

“So you broke her picture frame”

Selah grins with her whole body, practically vibrating with it.

“It was mostly an accident, but I think we’ve stablished Ms. G deserved that much”

Reyna smiled too, doing a poor job of hiding her amusement.

“What happened next?”

Selah makes a motion with her hand.

“Well, I was ready to tell Finn that we’ve had no luck, when Leo pulls the harmonica out of fucking nowhere!”

Reyna raises both her eyebrows, mouth still curled into a smile, Selah presses on in a high-pitched tone.

“To this day I have no idea how he did that”

“Haze looked at us like we had sprouted second heads”

Reyna was shaking her head.

“I can imagine”

Selah put her hands together, intertwining the fingers. 

“When we learned what her mother had done we were both ready to learn necromancy just to beat the crap out of her reanimated corpse”

Then, she gives Reyna a whole look.

“I know I was glad when she wrote telling us she’d found you guys”

Reyna follows her example, expression a little more serious.

“And Leo?”

Selah winces mutely.

“Sometimes I fear he may be paranoid, even if I know he has more than enough grounds to be mistrustful of people”

Reyna gives her a small smile as she nods.

“Being careful is good, but anything can be harmful in excess”

“So there’s a nun on the ground, Hazel has her entire forearm in a jar, and Nico is nowhere to be found”

Selah is biting her lip, eyes bright with barely restrained mirth.

“And I swear I was possessed by something because the next words out of my mouth are ‘why would you do that to a follower of our lord?’ at the guy”

That gets Selah going, a hiccoughing sort of sound that matches her red checks.

"And it sounded so genuine that he goes ghost white and apologizes"

Reyna's voice is shaking with clearly contained amusement.

"Like fucker had a gun to my face not two seconds ago"

Selah manages to rein her laughter.

"How'd you get out of that?"

Reyna lets out a brief laugh.

"Hazel actually, she sneaked around the guy and broke the jar into his head"

Selah shakes her head with a laugh.

"That's so like her, mind if I share that with Leo?"

Reyna makes a 'go ahead' motion with her head.

"He didn't care what I'd done or whom I'd been"

She smiled softly, an endeared tonality to her voice.

"Just that I did my job"

Selah smiled sadly.

"That's kind of sad Rey, like, unsurprising, but still"

Reyna nodded.

"I knew that it would take a lot of effort to gain his trust, but the longer we worked together the more I wanted it"

Selah makes an exclamation, something short and breathy.

"I was lucky to meet Leo when I did"

She looks to the sky.

"We wouldn't have become this close otherwise, I don't think"

Reyna pulled her closer by their joined hands.

"Why's that?"

Selah winces, like the thought is painful.

"Two years after we met, his father found out about him"

She looks to Reyna, as though searching for something.

"Leo wanted nothing to do with him, so we ran, until we couldn't"

She laughs humorlessly.

"He's always been a bit of a skeptic but that was the straw that broke the camel’s back"

Reyna rubs gentle circles around Selah’s left arm; she regains her smile.

“But that’s a story for another day”

They re-enter the mansion between hushed voices and restrained giggles; and outside, the sun starts rising.


	14. A pack’s omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want to give this a good ending, but the truth is that I no longer have as much drive for it as I did when I started. Still, I’ll try to have it end in a way that makes sense.

It takes a month for Nico and Leo to find their footing around the other, a process decorated by their attempts at following courting protocol, exchanging gifts, and getting comfortable with being close and covered in the other’s scent. Not because it’s particularly hard, though it is sometimes awkward, but because Nico is busy being a mob boss; and Leo is busy trying to figure out how to explain to his father that the thing that pulled him into the world of shadows was not blood, but emotion.

Nico must have grown worried enough to push, because eventually Leo found himself explaining the complicated thing that was his relationship with his father, and who exactly the man was.

“Imagine spending thirteen years of your life, orphaned and with the pigs at your heel, only to find out the father who abandoned your family wants to make you into a mob boss”

Leo pauses, makes a face, and corrects himself.

“Well, technically it was only making me part of a mob, since Charlie was still alive back then”

Nico frowns.

“What about the other eight?”

Leo huffs loudly.

“You would think, since he trusts them so much otherwise, but he’s obsessed with blood ties for some reason”

Nico makes a face, Leo laughs, nodding along.

“So I took Selah and hightailed it out of there, and we ran until we couldn’t anymore”

There’s a pause, Nico takes Leo’s hand in his slowly and softly, contact is still somewhat hard for them.

“What happened?”

Leo turns grim.

“I talked him into a compromise, I’d take care of a debt he had, and he’d leave me alone”

He smiles then, making a theatrical bow.

“Thus how I met one Jason Grace, and saved his ass”

Nico smiles then, leaning back on his desk chair, and as he does the scent pendant Leo gave him pokes out of his shirt; as well as a sliver of olive-tan skin. Leo quickly licks his lips when he’s sure he won’t get caught.

“You’re that omega?”

Leo grins, Cheshire and smugness.

“He talks about me?”

Nico nods, and there’s something about Leo’s expression that makes his nerves rise to attention.

“I knew I wasn’t imagining things”

He decides to test how much ground his intrusive thought has.

“Should I be worried?”

Leo laughs brightly.

“About an alpha that lets his eyes wonder to someone else while in a relationship?”

He looks up from the small music box he’s been fiddling with, expression goading.

“Not even if I wasn’t already yours”

That’s a dangerous string of words, because they feed the more primal part of Nico’s brain, the one that preens whenever Leo steals one of his coats, or his shirt that one time; because the omega is covered in his scent. Possessiveness is something they both have to deal with though, he knows because Leo isn’t afraid to send him into a shower if he smells another omega on him, and is always a little more distant right after; and Nico wants to pull him close and cover him in affection until Leo’s giggling and purring in his arms.

Leo must take his silence to mean he’s still thinking about Grace and him knowing each other in _that_ way, because he gives Nico a soft sort of look and promptly crosses to the other side of the desk.

“Ok, make me space”

Nico does, moving his chair back and watching as Leo stands in front of him, and then just, climbs into his lap.

“This ok?”

It’s a wonder how Nico hasn’t started purring himself, or something else, considering the picture Leo paints like this.

“Yeah”

The omega grins at him, tilting his head just so, allowing the crest of their mating mark to poke out of his collar.

“See, all yours, my silly alpha”

Nico holds onto his hips, leaning forwards a bit, and enjoying the way Leo’s eyes darken in response.

“Your alpha?”

Leo gives him a sort of smile that sends electricity to run through every inch of his body, as he presses their foreheads together.

“Mine”

And Nico is very weak.

“Wanna kiss you”

But Leo is no better.

“Please”

So they do.

Now that the metaphorical bridge’s been crossed, Nico seems to have set his mind into kissing Leo as often as possible; not that he’s complaining, the opposite in fact. Leo adores how his alpha will tug him close so carefully, and connect their mouths so softly, only to reduce Leo to wonton chirps.

He likes how it starts slow and tender, but can easily turn possessive, and near desperate; and he’s particularly fond of how in that desperation, he winds up pressed between the nearest wall and Nico’s body. It makes him wonder about what their first time together will be like, makes him eager for it; he’s sure Nico’s caught onto his arousal too, but the alpha is no better. Being so gentle with Leo while still keeping complete control of the entire thing, always giving Leo some sort of warning before moving further; even when pinned against the wall, Leo could easily slip away, knowing Nico would simply let him go.

There’s also the slow-going but still progressing, inclusion of Leo and Selah into Nico’s pack, and into the dynamic of being part of a mafia group. Selah takes to it like a fish to water, Leo is a little harder because he’s so used to running from this exact situation; he spends most of his time in the studio Nico gave him, working on various little projects.

That is until one day, as he’s climbing down the stairs to go down to his study, he overhears discussion near the entrance, and gets curious. What he finds is Travis and Connor looking like they can barely stay upright, held by Hazel and Frank who look only marginally better, and Will looking red in the face as he says something in very sharp Italian.

Nico looks ragged, messy, a little bloodied, and a lot like he’s one word away from ripping Will a new one. Leo chirps instinctively, and the alpha’s attention is immediately directed at him; and the picture of him like that sets something alight inside Leo.

He approaches carefully, and coaxes Nico close, cradling his tired face with his hands, chirping softly.

“Ay cariño, what have they done to you?”

Nico melts against him, a soft clicking sound that’s so unquestionably alpha coming from his throat.

“It’s nothing”

Leo rolls his eyes.

“Don’t lie to me sweetheart, I’ll take your kissing privileges”

Nico pointedly looks away, Leo glances at Will, who stands upright.

“He was hit in the head, and had some close calls with the bullets”

Nico startles towards him.

“How do you even know that?”

Will arches an eyebrow, Leo huffs.

“You’re gonna let him heal you cariño, I’ll need you in top shape for our first shared cycle”

Nico flusters, whipping around towards him with wide eyes, and his hands have rose to lay around Leo’s waist.

“Really?”

Leo flushes too, but grins through the sudden bout of shyness that wants to overtake him.

“Absolutely”

Nico bites his lips, and then sighs.

“I just can’t let them go after this”

Leo looks at the group, then once again at his alpha, and feels that something turn from spark to ember.

“Let me take care of that”

Once you leave the stereotyped teachings of the caste system given in school to enter the real world, there’ll be a few misconceptions that will be easy enough to swallow; but one contradiction you will have to learn in order to survive is that omegas are the most violent of all letters.

It’s not a particularity that’s all that noticeable, given their generally submissive nature, but when their packs are threatened, or god forbid, harmed, an omega will show its true colors. And there’s nothing scarier, than an omega on a warpath.

The leader of regional branch of the Riptide gang goes deal with a group of particularly bothersome guppies under his jurisdiction, only to find a pile of ash where their hideout was supposed to be, and a single piece of paper on top. The note is written in weirdly shaped block script, that somehow is still perfectly readable, which say ‘Leave my alpha alone’ and is signed with an omega and a tiny skull.

Percy Jackson wonders, feeling a little amused, when exactly Nico got himself a mate; and why is he hiding them from their circles. Does Jason know? Jason better not know.


	15. Webs of blood {1/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a lot of work on how the pack thing would go, it all went unsaid of course, this is a show-don’t-tell sort of deal. You should still be able to understand how it works.

It’s not always a good idea to have Leo with him while he works, because Nico gets so easily distracted by him. It’s just, he thought the omega pretty when they first met, and he’s downright breathtaking now that Nico knows him properly, as both his mate, and his pack’s omega.

That’s part of why they’re here right now, because Leo acted like an omega protecting his pack, and while Nico has thought about it more times than he cares to admit, nothing’s official other than the marks on his and Leo’s skin. The idea that Leo considers them so isn’t helping Nico stay focused either, even if the idea is one he enjoys; gods, does he enjoy it.

“You left a message”

Leo smiles at him, soft and unafraid, though he clearly dislikes seeing Nico like this, stressed and still bandaged.

“They hurt you, almost cost Connor his right hand, almost left Frank deaf”

Nico nods, placating, because Leo’s voice had started taking on that same edge it had when he said he’d take care of this.

“You called me your alpha”

Leo laughs at that, genuinely amused, and Nico has to bite back a pleased trill at the sound. He likes making his omega laugh, sue him.

“You are my alpha, and they would absolutely be our pack if you got out of that pretty head of yours”

Nico represses a shiver at that ‘our’ but not the instinct that tells him to have the omega, or not entirely, he pushes his chair away from the desk.

“Come here”

Leo grins at him, their bond tingling as he walks all the way to the other side of the desk. Nico offers a hand to him, and when Leo takes it, he presses it against his lips and enjoys the pleased trill from his omega.

“The alpha in charge of this city’s division of the Riptides is insisting I introduce you to our circles”

Leo bites his lips, clearly knowing exactly what that would entail, Nico tugs him into his lap easily, allowing the omega to curl around him for comfort. Leo sighs against him.

“We do have to face my father eventually, why not rip the Band-Aid?”

Then he pulls away just enough to look at Nico.

“Is that all that’s bothering you?”

Nico lifts his right hand to caress Leo’s cheek.

“We don’t have the nicest history; I’m worried what he’ll try to do”

Leo lets out a soft sound, one Nico feels even before he hears it.

“I’ll castrate him if he so much as looks to us wrong”

Nico laughs, unable to contain himself, squeezing Leo’s waist.

“Vicious”

Leo gives him a saccharine smile.

“Protective”

Nico kisses him, such a good omega he has.

“That too”

Connor and Travis are wearing matching grins, boarder that ever, Will, Reyna, Hazel, and Selah are all full on smirking, even Clovis and Frank are smiling. Nico is fighting back a grin himself, even as flustered as the bond says he is; Leo is enjoying this oh so very much.

“So we’re actually doing this?”

It’s cute, how hopeful Travis sounds when asking that, Leo smirks pointedly at Nico, who covers his mouth with a hand but nods. Connor and Travis immediately chirp; Leo chuckles at their excitement, but this has to be done properly.

“Reyna, Hazel, come here so I can scent you!”

Nico lets out a long sigh, actually closing his eyes for a moment.

“Selah, if you could”

All three women soften their expressions as they happily stride to them, Hazel reaches Leo first, offering her neck with barely contained excitement, Leo obliges her with a smile of his own; it’s been so long since they’ve smelled of each other. Reyna is more subdued, and Leo has to go to his tip-toes in order to reach her neck, and he respects her enough to do just so instead of having her bend to his level; it works also as a blessing for her relationship with Leo’s sister.

The remaining beta are all looking at him, Leo glances at Nico who nods once as a go ahead.

“Will, the gamma to my omega, come here”

Will goes bright red, Nico snorts in clear amusement at his expression; still, Will crosses the distance, only to stop short of Leo’s reach.

“Really?”

It’s fair that he asks, anyone can become a gamma, regardless what they presented at naturally, in fact one could only be gamma through being chosen as such by their pack. They acted as a sort of right hand to the pack’s omega, helping with the care of the other members of the pack.

Selah huffs, still standing close to Nico, Reyna by her side.

“He says, like we could possibly choose anyone else”

Reyna squeezes her shoulders.

“Don’t be mean”

Leo pulls Will’s attention back to him.

“I won’t repeat myself”

Will swallows and takes the last step, Leo smiles softly at him and moves carefully to scent him, then he pushes him towards Nico who’s now grinning.

“Promotion suits you Solace”

Will finally smiles, offering his throat to the alpha.

“Oh shut up”

Meanwhile, Leo calls the rest of the betta over, now going by age, which leaves Frank for last as he’s the same age as Hazel. The Stolls are all too happy to let him cover them in his scent, and then move to Nico with the same energy; Clovis is alert and timid, which hints that he’s actually awake, and that’s good, Leo would never scent him as pack otherwise.

Frank stands pale and weary, like he has everything to lose approaching Leo, and the omega know instantly why that is, eyes glancing towards Hazel on instinct. He smiles softly at the big beta and crosses the distance himself, he cannot give him the same luxury he did Reyna, as he is yet to prove himself fully, but this much tells plenty.

Still, Frank bends for him, and Leo scents him like he did everyone else, it’s Nico’s call if the beta can court Hazel, as they are siblings; Leo can only accept him into the pack.


	16. Webs of blood {2/3}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, hello, can I have uhh… societal introductions, with a side of meeting the parents, and a glass of protectiveness?

The Hippocampus manor was a lot bigger than Nico’s home, and that much more intimidating for it; never mind that it was home to one of the most powerful alphas in the city, Leo’s alpha was equally powerful. Both Leo and Selah had to shop for new clothes to wear here, as showing up underdressed could be a disaster in and of itself; it also had the nice side effect of causing a pleasant reaction on their respective partners.

Actually, Leo had gotten compliments from everyone in the newly formed pack, which had left him to hide his red face in between his hands.

Right now though, he kept his expression in check as he followed Nico inside the building, and into what could only be described as a ballroom, one complete with small snack tables, and people mingling with each other. He feels Nico’s hand covering his where they are holding onto the alpha’s arm, as a sort of reassurance; and together they make their way towards the host of tonight’s events.

Though the others had done their best to get Selah and Leo up to scratch with the current power pyramid in their city, Leo still feels unprepared for being face to face with one Percy Jackson. The man is dressed in blue and white, his date, who Leo recognizes immediately, dons silver.

They make quite the attractive couple, they make Leo feel a little underdressed, and a lot less pretty than he did two minutes ago. He tightens his hand where it’s latched onto Nico’s arm, and feels his alpha step a little further, putting himself slightly in front of him.

“Jackson”

His tone is sharp and calculated, and Leo quickly glances at the woman he knows as Anabeth for any sign that this might turn into a fight. Percy arches his eyebrows.

“We’re doing surnames now, Nico?”

Nico scoffs.

“You’re the one that wanted an official introduction”

To Leo’s surprise, Percy simply laughs, like he finds Nico’s aggressiveness amusing, which bothers Leo a lot more than it should, considering it’s safer than the other option.

“Ok then, who’s the pretty stranger”

For a moment, Nico feels an actual growl rise at his throat in response to another alpha complimenting his omega, but Leo doesn’t react like he did to their packs compliments, instead standing just a little taller and stepping around Nico to face Percy fully.

“I’m Leo Valdez”

Percy grins dangerously, and Nico is impressed when Leo stays put under it.

“You burnt one of my groups to the ground”

Leo shifts then, a smile that promises nothing but trouble painting itself on his lips; Nico has a sudden flash of arousal that he suppresses as quickly as he can, though he can feel Anabeth’s eyes boring into him. Not his fault his omega looks hot when righteously angry. 

“They hurt my alpha, and three others of my pack”

This time it was Anabeth that laughed, pulling Percy back a little, smile softening her face.

“He’s outplayed you seaweed brain”

Percy huffs but offers a smile to them, Nico remembers a time where that sight pleased him to the core in order to not do something impulsive. It’s a little funny, that he can now easily dislike Percy, because of a single omega.

“Jason will also like to be introduced”

Nico exchanges a look with Leo, the omega makes an amused sort of expression.

“That should be interesting”

Percy arches his eyebrows, and Nico knows instantly what he thinks, and that he does not like it.

“And why’s that?”

Leo grins a bit wider, like he’s about to share juicy gossip, it does wonders on Percy’s tense position, as he now looks mostly curious.

“Saved his life this one time, apparently I made an impression”

Nico watches how Percy’s expression goes from confusion, to realization, to the sort of amusement that promises teasing. It’s a look he knows very well, and he feels a brief sense of pity for Jason, but quickly brushes it away; he tugs Leo a little closer.

“You’re that omega?”

Leo looks at Nico.

“Now I’m starting to see why you were worried, does he actually talk about me that much?”

Anabeth is the one to answer.

“Piper and him are in an open relationship, I think she mentions you just as often”

Leo scoffs, leaning more into Nico, the alpha shifts so he can hold him more comfortably.

“Yeah well I’m happily taken”

A different voice cuts the somewhat amicable atmosphere they had managed thanks to Leo.

“Are you now?”

Everyone tenses, Nico forces himself to turn in order to face the man, not due to fear of what he represents, but rather for a much more mundane reason. Hephaestus isn’t all that tall, but he’s broad and rough, and gigantic in presence; Nico feels Leo turn with him.

“Padre”

The tension between them is different than the one that’s taken over Percy, Anabeth, and himself; though Nico can feel the other two staring at him. They should be staring at Leo, Nico thinks, all things considered.

“Leonidas, I see you decided to join us”

Then he turns towards Nico, and this close it’s easier to tell that him and Leo are related; though the omega clearly pulls a lot more from his other parent.

“Though I wonder what the Memento Mori could gain from seducing my son”

Leo lets out an actual growl, but Nico pulls him a step back.

“I’ve only learned about this recently, but it would’ve done little to stop me from courting my fated”

Leo chirps then, a happy little sound that seems to make the whole room relax. The power of omegas, really.

“It was lovely to meet you Mr. Jackson, Ms. Chase, cariño let’s mingle somewhere else”

Nico takes the suggestion for what it is, both his omega asking to get away, and as a sign that he’s said something very, very right. And it’s a testament to this second fact that no one stops them as they move away.


	17. Webs of blood {3/3}

Leo manages to convince his alpha of dancing just in time for them to put on a piece he recognizes; Nico raises an eyebrow at him, but says nothing as he guides them through the proper steps. Leo should be a little subtler about his enjoyment of this song, but well, Nico’s giving him the softest look, and his is the only opinion that matters to Leo currently; particularly after how he dealt with Leo’s father.

How did Leo get so lucky to have such a good alpha as fated mate? Going off like he was actually proud of Leo, of Leo! Loud, rough around the edges, too brash to fit the omega stereotype Leo. He didn’t think anyone could blame him over being protective of the connection.

Besides, the others had accommodated him and Selah seamlessly, treating them like part of their group instead of the strangers they really were, helping them get used to their new lives, and being so very kind all the way. Of course he’d been furious when he learnt the extent of their injuries.

It would’ve been a lot more shocking, Leo thinks, if they had been the first lives he took; if heavy machinery and crimson under steel beams wasn’t part of his past. But it was.

“Valdez?”

A feminine voice shakes him out of the trail of thought, familiar and not in tandem, it’s been ages since he last heard it, ages since he last thought of either of them, but here they are, and here he is, recognizing her voice. Nico stops with him, hand securing itself around Leo’s waist, both a reassurance and a claim; not that Leo minds.

“Grace, Mclean”

Leo is oh so grateful for him, because he’s momentarily speechless, staring at kaleidoscopic eyes, because she just demands attention, even with the alpha at her side. Nico gives him a squeeze.

“This is my omega, Leo Valdez”

Piper blinks, freeing Leo from her gaze to look at Nico is a trip.

“I didn’t peg you as the possessive type”

She makes that sound like she’s trying to threaten Nico, which does not sit well with Leo’s inner omega, or with Leo in general actually.

“Careful, that’s my alpha you’re talking to”

She blinks at him, flabbergasted, must not be used to people calling her bullshit. Granted, she’s dating one of the most dangerous men in the state, if not the whole country.

“Your alpha?”

Think of the devil and he shall speak to you, Leo supposes as he turns to look at Jason, leaning a little more into Nico’s hold.

“That disappointing for you?”

Jason lets out a displeased rumble, which is fair given Leo’s intentionally goading him, but he still has to bite back a purr when Nico immediately responds with a warning growl. Such a good alpha he has.

“Hades must be relieved, having his legacy secured”

Oh fuck him with a barbed wire, Leo has every intention to bitch slap him, consequences be damned; stupid prideful idiot.

“My legacy isn’t so frail as to depend on just lineage, I assure you”

If nothing else, it’s very pleasing to watch how Jason goes stark white and rigid, even if Leo’s a little worried about how this interaction will go.

“Father”

Unlike Leo’s own relationship with his progenitor, Nico has a genuine, and deeply rooted respect behind this word. But even without it Leo would have recognized Hades regardless, because the similarity between them is startling.

He knows, by virtue of his insistence to help Nico with paperwork, that the alpha maintains written correspondence with his father; which is a little ridiculous when they could just call each other, or send emails. So Hades most definitely knows about their bond and its nature, and probably about how it came to be as well.

Leo allows Nico to pull him a little closer to the man.

"This is my mate Leo Valdez"

The man gives him an appraising sort of look, Leo smiles.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you"

Hades seems pleasantly surprised, if the expression on his face is anything to go by.

"Not many would say that"

A laugh cuts through the air, and a beautiful woman comes closer, she's wearing simple but elegant clothes, and the way Hades seems to soften instantly tells Leo all he needs to know.

"No need to be so tense my heart, they're just pups"

Nico doesn’t like the way Grace looks at his omega one bit, the only thing stopping him from doing something about it is the presence of not just his father, but also his step-mother. He’s not really sure why Grace and his partner stuck around, considering his father had been nowhere near kidding about very few people being happy to see him.

Persephone smiles brightly in his direction, and Nico’s quick to realize she’s looking at Leo in particular, and has to suppress the urge to growl at her; seriously, was his inner alpha trying to get both of them killed?

“What has you so rattled sweetheart?”

Nico turns a little to his omega then, just in time to catch him puffing up and giving that one smile that promised trouble; which gave him just about enough time to prepare for what happened next.

“Just dealing with some bighead alpha who forgot he owes me a life debt”

The result is wonderful really, Grace manages to go fully red while still looking like he wants the ground to swallow him, Persephone full on laughs, and Mclean looks just now realizing they’re in hot water. Leo gives him a side look, all proud of himself, and Nico can’t resist giving him a kiss, he’s adorable.

Mclean finally snaps into action and drags Grace away, leaving the four of them alone; finally, his father un-tenses a little, and offers Persephone his open hand.

“Could I have the honor of this dance?”

Persephone smiles brightly and takes the hand, turning to look at Nico and Leo once more before going.

“He’s a riot Nico”

And then they’re swaying away, followed by a new song. Nico turns to his omega, who looks a little shaken as he smiles.

“I think that went well”

Nico lifts their joined hands and presses a kiss to Leo’s knuckles.

“They like you caro, don’t worry”

He’s gifted with one of Leo’s rare soft smiles, the one that he’s starting to think was made just for him. Having no one else of importance to meet, Nico sees no reason to ruin his reputation for never staying a full party, particularly when he feels his omega’s exhaustion through their bond.

“Ready to get out of here?”

Leo chirps at him.

“Please”


	18. Fin.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m actually planning something a lot bigger, and have thus lost all energy for this, I’d apologize for the short length, but I cannot bring myself to write anything longer. That said, let’s end this.

There are certain expectations for those who live in their world, lines that the common folk are lucky to never see and never cross; temptation will beckon them forward, to fall head-first into the abyss. Leo had resisted for as long as he was able, but fate had a different idea for him.

Now here he is, the top omega to one of the most powerful families in the city, pursuing the aisles of one of the most prestigious commercial centers, with his sister and a surprisingly confused Will.

“I think my confusion is understandable since you haven’t told me what we’re looking for”

Joy, Leo’s thinking out loud, he turns towards his sister.

“Would you remind our future doctor about the role of a gamma?”

Selah arches an eyebrow.

“Why can’t you?”

Leo looks pointedly towards a bed and mattress shop.

“Saw something soft”

Selah nods sagely and turns towards the still confused Will, as the two follow him inside the shop.

“Gammas are a head omega’s right hand, they help keep the pack healthy and happy, including the omega themselves”

Will makes a sound that has Leo chirping at him.

“I know that”

Selah chirrups back at Leo, and goes back to paying attention to Will.

“Part of that is helping them prepare for their heat”

There’s a moment of silence, while Leo runs his hands over the cover he’d seen from outside, making sure it’s truly as soft as it seemed. And then Will speaks up again.

“I’ve never done this”

Leo lets out a soft chuckle, turning to face the rookie gamma.

“Which is why Selah’s here, now, you know Nico, help me pick some things he’d like”

They happen to have a free room that will work as a nesting room, it used to be a music room of sorts, so it’s properly isolated. Leo has Will help him carry everything he will need to make the nest into the room, and moving the few pieces of furniture still inside it.

The actual building is left to Leo alone, as it will be his nest, other scents are a given, but the first person other than Leo to enter the room now should be Nico. And that’s only because Leo himself invited him in way before he entered pre-heat.

Mates or not, had Leo not done that, no one other than himself would be allowed in this room until his heat ended. As it is though, Leo’s taking extra care to make the nest ‘attractive’; he’s gonna be sharing it after all, and there’s a deep and near-animalistic part of himself that wants the alpha to like it.

It’s a question of instinct, yes, but it’s also a question of pride, proof that Leo is truly and fully ready to commit to the hand he’s been dealt; beyond mate marks, and biological compatibility. This, with everything it means and everything it will mean, is a show of trust.

Trust is not a thing to be so easily given, it is our first and most important line of defense, we cannot deny our natures, but we can choose who to trust with ourselves. This is true even for those who do not live in their world.

There are, after all, many a kind of person, some of whom are so wrapped in their own head they lose all common sense. Some go to extensive lengths in order to get recognized as powerful in the public eye, others rule the world from the shadows.

And they happen to fall in the latter category.

The end.


End file.
